Chapter 6

"Rose, Rose wake up. You need to get up." I opened my eyes to find my father trying to wake me up. I groaned but complied and sat up on my bed.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Sydney told me everything and I saw everything Rose." My eyes widened.

"Why did she tell you." I cried.

"I made her don't worry about that. But you need to know something important." I nodded. "Robert is dead." I swear my jaw hit the floor. "He died six years ago from the insanity of spirit. There is no way he sent those messages. I even saw to it that he was buried deep enough so even if he was still alive…." He trailed off.

"So who took Alec then dad?" I asked. He sat down next to me and shook his head.

"I don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure out." I got up and went down the stairs to find guardians all over doing research and what not. My mother was among them.

"Mom do you have any leads on what might have happened to him?" I asked her. She shook her head and went back to talking to the guardian next to her. I looked around for anything that might make me think of where Alec might be when I noticed Eddie in the corner of my eye sitting by the wall.

I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's all my fault." He stated. "If I had just told him to get into the car he would be in the safety of the academy but now…" I squatted down next to him.

"It wasn't your fault Eddie. If anything it was mine for sending him out like that." A tear fell from my eye as I said this. He looked up and with his thumb wiped the tear away. "Don't blame yourself." I whispered to him. "It was never your fault." We hugged and then got up from where we were.

"I," he started. "I just wish I could be of more help than just sulking around. The other guardians told me not to worry about it and to go take care of Adrianna. And I mean as much as I'd love to just do that. I did promise to protect you and you kids."

I heard what he said and sighed. "You did what you could and that's what counts the most Eddie and don't you ever forget that, got it?" he nodded. We spent the rest of the day with Abe's private guardians trying to get any lead they could get. But at last, night time came and one by one the all left.

I sat at the kitchen table playing around with my pasta. All the kids were sleeping by now and Eddie had taken a nap before having to return to the academy tomorrow. He worked really hard I gave him that. He was so dedicated to what he does that sometimes I feel as if he forgets about other things but I don't question it one bit.

"Am I as bad as my mother, to have let my son vanish from thin air?" I asked my pasta. What I was not waiting for was for it to respond back.

"Yes, though I think you're a lot worse." The voice was icy and off edge but with those words something hard hit my head and the darkness took over me all but too quickly.

I woke up to the pitter patter of feet. Maybe Adrian, my son, was up already and demanding chocolate chip pancakes like he did every Wednesday. I sat up and looked around to see if I could spot his little body at the edge of my bed, when I realized I was on a cold hard-ware floor.

I looked around and all I could see was the darkness that surrounded me. I got on my feet and took slow steps to see if I could get a feel for my surroundings. With my heightened senses, I realized I was in a room, trapped with no windows and one locked door.

"Don't try to open the door." I whipped around to find myself face to face with the guy that looked a lot like Dimitri. He looked to be around sixteen years old.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

He stoke his hand out. "My name's Paul Belikov." I smiled.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you Paul you look so grown up. How old are you now anyways?" I asked. Since my eyes were now adjusted to the darkness I saw confusion in his features.

"I'm twenty right now but I'm sorry but who are you?"

"Rose Hathaway." I stated proudly. He nearly jumped.

Then he hugged me. "Wohw there. You act as if you're meeting Santa clause or the Easter bunny." I told him chuckling. "You got so tall. And if I am correct you must be 6'4 right now right?" he nodded.

"And if my memory serves me right, you look exactly the same as the last time we met." I pondered that statement.

"Paul last time I saw you was twelve years ago. I'm bound to change during that time period so don't lie to me." He sighed.

"Mama always told me to be nice to women and tell them what they want to hear and to never be rude if I want to get the truth across." I laughed at this.

"Well then Sonya taught you well now didn't she?" I glanced at the door. "So why can't I open it?" I asked.

"The last person who did died trying. Her name was Sandra Zeklos. Royal too. Killed her on the spot with a knife to her throat. Last I saw and heard she was dead and her body was shipped to her parents' house." I sad feeling took over me. Poor girl and her poor parents. They must be suffering so much.

"So there's no way to get out of here then?" The lights flipped on. We shielded our eyes at the impact of energy our way.

"Well now that you mention it there is a way to get out." A female strigoi said entering the room. She had raven black hair and ice blue eyes…Tasha.

"What are you doing Tasha?" I asked. She gave me an evil laugh before continuing.

"Taking what is rightfully mine Rose." I snorted.

"You can take Dimitri I don't want him. I haven't wanted him in over ten years so go take him I don't what you do just so long as you leave me alone!" I growled at her.

She shook her head. "It's not only Dimitri I want Rose. It's his kids too. I already have one." She said giving me a knowing smile. I cracked. I lunged for her but was quickly restrained by another two strigoi from behind. "Now Rose lets be critical about this. So what if I have one of your kids? Soon enough I'll have all of them." She sneered.

"You are disgusting." I spat in her face. She shrugged.

"So what if I am? What are you going to do about it? Oh let me guess nothing." I snorted. "I came in here to give you a free pass out Rose, but if you don't want it-" I cut her off.

"What is it?" I asked. She gleamed.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"You either stay here until I gather up all your children and set you free." She took a few steps closer to me till she was inches away. She placed one dainty finger on my neck before continuing. "Or you turn strigoi and keep your children safe that way."

I paled. I had to choose between my mortality or my children….. "You have until tomorrow to decide what you want to do with your life and your children's life Rose." She motioned for the other strigoi to let me go. "But until then you may stay here with your son and nephew." With that she left leaving Paul stunned and me on the ground tearing.

"Mom?" I looked up. The door had closed and in front of me stood my son, Alec. I ran to him and hugged him so hard. "Cant….Breath….Hurting…..Let…Go…" I let him go and held him close.

"They didn't hurt you did they?" I said giving him a once over. He shook his head.

"I met my cousin and father today mom." He said pointing at Paul. Paul looked surprised.

"I didn't know you were Dimitri's kid. And you…."he said looking at me. "You had his kids and didn't even tell him?" he asked obviously mad.

"Your uncle left me Paul. LEFT ME, WHILE I WAS PREGNANT. Well before he ever knew anyway. He had no right to know." I said looking him straight in the eye.

"I didn't know." He said sympathetically. I shrugged.

"No one knew. On the bright side I got my kids and that's been my life ever since your uncle left me." Paul nodded.

"So dad left you huh?" Alec asked. I nodded.

"He didn't know about you though. He left when I told him that I guess I was sort of sad that I was never going to have a child." He looked at me weird.

"But you had me, Arlet, Adrian, Mason, Rose, and Adrianna. Or is it that only Arlet and I are Dimitri's?" he asked. In all the years he's lived I never thought it would be this soon in which I'd have to tell him this.

"Only Adrianna," I started "Is Eddie's daughter. The rest of you are Dimitri's."

"That explains her eyes and my look. I'm the only one that looks like him. The others look like you and grandfather and Adrianna has Eddie's eyes." He stated matter of factly.

"Yes you're the only one that looks like your father. The rest have no resemblance in him whatsoever. And I'm fine with that. I just didn't want you to find out about this all too soon that's all it's throwing me off edge. I wanted all of you be protected." I said to him trying to explain.

"From our father? You all wanted us protected from our father?" he asked in disbelief. "Why would you keep us away?"

"He left us Alec!" I screamed. "And then he came back eight years later for one night. And in that one night I got pregnant. And then guess what? He left again without a word until he decided to show up a few days ago." I ended angrily.

Alec paled. "I didn't know mom I'm sorry." I huffed.

"Yeah aren't we all." He came over and hugged me. I of course being a mother wrapped my arms protectively over him.

"Promise me something?" I asked him. He nodded. "If you get out of here and for some reason I don't, take care of your sister for me and the triplets and even Adrianna. Make them still believe that Eddie is their father and don't tell them any different. And to all your power make sure they never find out. Be the best guardian you can be and protect them for me ok?"

He looked up at me staring deep into my eyes before responding. "I will and just so you know, I didn't really meet my father I just saw him."

I smiled at my son. "Even if it pains me to admit it Alec, you sure are a true Belikov unlike your sister who has the Hathaway blood burning inside of her." We both laughed.

"Well this has been interesting." Paul commented off to the side.

"And you." I told him. "I forbid you from ever telling Dimitri about this information. And if you ever do you bet as hell that you restrain him because if Alec sees Dimitri near them at the academy then he will know that you have told him and then he will contact Abe Mazur and drag Dimitri away and keep him locked up so he will never see them." I stated in a deadly tone.

"Do you really hate him that much?" he asked. I looked down.

"After what I've been through for the last ten years you could possibly say that."

"Why hello." Tasha said reappearing in the room. I gave her a confused look. "Your time is up I have decided to limit your time now tell me your decision."

I gave her my best man eater smile before talking. "I'm going to turn strigoi." At that she as well as Paul and Alec paled.

"You what?" Tasha stuttered. I nodded.

"You heard me, afraid?" I mockingly asked. She just stood there frozen. "Good let's keep it that way. So who's going to take us back to court so I can see to it that my son returns safely? And who is going to see to it that Paul here," I said pointing to Paul, "Gets to Russia safely?"

A few or Tasha's minions raised their hands and I just had to laugh at that. "Great let's go."